Aging free-agent receivers in need of a home
By Vinnie Iyer - SportingNews
Mar 14, 4:56 pm EDT
Buzz up!1 vote PrintIt was lucky to be in the top 13 on the current season of American Idol, but the same hasn’t been true for the top 13 NFL active leaders in career receptions. The latest to feel a rocky offseason was now former St. Louis Rams receiver Torry Holt, who was released, appropriately, on Friday the 13th.
Holt (fifth) is among seven wide receivers on that accomplished list to search for alternate employment, either as a free agent or salary-cap casualty.
Laveranues Coles (13th) and Terrell Owens (third) didn’t need to wait long to get other jobs, landing quickly with Cincinnati and Buffalo, respectively.
As for Holt and the other four, including No. 1 on the active receptions list, Marvin Harrison, jobs are filling up fast, leaving few teams desperate for aging receivers.
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Holt, because he is only 32, has a good chance of finding a job soon. Saturday marked the end of long wait for another old receiver, so there’s hope for the rest of the notable prolific pass-catchers to catch on as well:
Torry Holt. The hottest suitor is the *****, who got a pretty good year out of Holt’s longtime Rams receiving mate, Isaac Bruce, last season. What’s strange in the scenario is that Mike Martz is no longer the Niners’ offensive coordinator. Holt and Bruce together would make life easier on whomever San Francisco has at quarterback, especially if it’s an early first-round rookie. They also could help Josh Morgan blossom into a fine starter.
It’s head-scratching, however, why teams such as the Eagles, Giants, Jets and Vikings would all come out early and say they’re not interested in Holt—unless it’s the latest form of misdirection. All those teams have clear holes at receiver, and the draft class isn’t looking as deep as usual.
Joey Galloway. He had a chance of signing with the Steelers, but that didn’t happen, which opened the door for the Patriots to grab him on Saturday. Why the 37-year-old had the edge over some slightly younger veteran receivers is he still has great speed to stretch the field. In New England, he becomes a deep ball alternative to Randy Moss in three- and four-receiver sets, where Galloway can streak down the sideline and Wes Welker works the middle.
Amani Toomer. Toomer is the prototypical No. 2 wide receiver—experienced with good hands. The trouble he isn’t a speed guy, so being a No. 3 slot type isn’t an option. So a team either needs to see him as a starter or fourth receiver over a youngster. With the Rams moving on without Holt or Drew Bennett, Toomer could reunite with Steve Spagnuolo to be the right type to work opposite second-year flyer Donnie Avery.
Bobby Engram. Engram doesn’t have too much left at 36, but he would fit nicely...
-03-16-2009, 08:28 AM
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